IL-6 was associated with visceral adiposity and fasting insulin (P<0.01), whereas TNF-alpha was associated with total body fatness and post-challenge insulin (P<0.05).
Cross-Sectional (n=189)
IL-6 is specifically associated with visceral adiposity and hyperinsulinemia, whereas TNF-alpha is associated with total body fatness and insulin resistance in men.
Effect estimate: r=0.15-0.32
p-value: p=<0.05
OBJECTIVE: This study examined the relationships of two inflammatory cytokines, IL-6 and TNF-alpha, to visceral adiposity and indices of plasma glucose-insulin homeostasis. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Plasma levels of IL-6 and TNF-alpha were measured in 189 untreated asymptomatic men (aged 43.7 +/- 7.8 yr; body mass index 29.0 +/- 4.3 kg/m(2); waist girth 98.6 +/- 10.3 cm). RESULTS: Significant and positive associations were found between both cytokines with adiposity and adipose tissue distribution indices (0.15 or =25 kg/m(2)) with similar body mass index values (28.7 kg/m(2) in both groups) but with markedly different levels of visceral adipose tissue ( or = 130 cm(2)), revealed significant differences only for IL-6 levels (1.42 +/- 1.15 vs. 0.86 +/- 0.52 pg/ml; P < 0.02 for men with high vs. low visceral adipose tissue, respectively). Finally, when subjects were stratified on the basis of their respective concentrations of IL-6 and TNF-alpha (using the 50th percentile of their overall distribution), an ANOVA revealed an independent contribution of IL-6 to the variation of fasting insulin (P < 0.01) and each of these two cytokines to the variation of insulin levels measured after a 75-g oral glucose challenge (P <0.01 for IL-6 and P < 0.05 for TNF-alpha). CONCLUSIONS: Because IL-6 appeared to be clearly associated with visceral adiposity, TNF-alpha rather showed associations with indices of total body fatness. Thus, TNF-alpha may contribute to the insulin resistance of overall obesity, whereas IL-6 may be one of the mediators of the hyperinsulinemic state specifically related to excess visceral adiposity.
Cartier et al. (Wed,) conducted a cross-sectional in Visceral adiposity and plasma glucose-insulin homeostasis (n=189). IL-6 and TNF-alpha was evaluated on Association of IL-6 and TNF-alpha with adiposity and plasma glucose-insulin homeostasis (r=0.15-0.32, p=<0.05). IL-6 was associated with visceral adiposity and fasting insulin (P<0.01), whereas TNF-alpha was associated with total body fatness and post-challenge insulin (P<0.05).
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